Origin
Palmer Heights, PA
Afternoon in Palmer Heights on Sunday
Local time
2:07 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Palmer Heights, PA to Allentown, PA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
24m
Distance
16.1 mi
26 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Palmer Heights, PA
Michael Taccetta
Allentown, PA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Palmer Heights to Allentown is 16.1 miles and takes about 24 minutes via Lehigh Valley Thruway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Pennsylvania's Northeast region, making it a straightforward local drive. You'll navigate a series of local roads and a main artery, so expect a bit of turning as you make your way. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick errand or a connecting leg to a larger journey, with minimal time commitment required.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Lehigh Valley Thruway | 13.1 mi | 17m |
| Tilghman Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| MacArthur Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Northampton Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| North 7th Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Sales Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Greenwood Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Lehigh Valley Thruway
— 13.1 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Palmer Heights, PA and Allentown, PA.
1
Start on North Greenwood Avenue
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
North Greenwood Avenue
2
Turn left onto Northampton Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Northampton Street
3
Turn left onto Sales Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Sales Street
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
402 ft
·
18 sec
Toward US 22 West: Bethlehem
5
Merge onto US 22
13 mi
·
17 min
·
Lehigh Valley Thruway
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Toward PA 145
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
177 ft
·
8 sec
Toward PA 145 South
Use the left lane.
8
Turn left onto PA 145
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
MacArthur Road
9
Continue on PA 145
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
MacArthur Road
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on PA 145
0.4 mi
·
42 sec
·
North 7th Street
11
Turn right onto Tilghman Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Tilghman Street
12
Arrive at destination
Tilghman Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 14.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Northampton Street
Turn left onto Northampton Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Sales Street
Turn left onto Sales Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward US 22 West: Bethlehem
Navigation decision point
Toward US 22 West: Bethlehem
6
14 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward PA 145
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward PA 145
8
14.1 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward PA 145 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward PA 145 South
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.67 one way
$5.34 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $2.92 | $5.85 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.12 | $6.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.55 | $7.11 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.92
Lehigh Valley Thruway
(13.1 mi)
$0.92
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$1
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.69 | $0.77 |
| Efficient EV | 4 | 0 | $1.41 | $0.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.25 | $1.03 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Allentown, PA
Afternoon in Allentown on Sunday
Local time
2:07 PM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
24 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
24m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is characterized as a turn-heavy local route with no highway segments, meaning you'll be on surface streets for the entire 16.1 miles. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 13.1 miles along the Lehigh Valley Thruway. While not a highway, this main road offers a more direct path, but you should still anticipate navigating intersections and varying speed limits typical of a local thoroughfare. The profile suggests a need for attention to turns and traffic signals throughout the journey.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.1 mi on Lehigh Valley Thruway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Northampton Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 16.1 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Northampton Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Sales Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles: Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 24m. Total distance: 16.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.1 miles on Lehigh Valley Thruway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.92 in tolls one way, starting with Lehigh Valley Thruway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Allentown, PA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Northampton Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (Sales Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Allentown, PA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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